Get It On: Living loving the Big O

By Jess Panther

CALGARY — Now that we’re all done ringing in the New Year, let’s take a moment to appreciate ringing another type of bell. Female masturbation isn’t an off-the-table conversation topic anymore, or at least it shouldn’t be. It is, however, something that is still fairly hush-hush and considered somewhat taboo.

Generally speaking, a lady loving on herself is nothing new, but it’s been pretty well hidden under the covers for much of history. It doesn’t need to continue to be that way. In fact, I would go so far as to say that if more women talked about it, and more women experimented with it, the orgasm gap between genders would shrink considerably.

Masturbation is liberating, healthy, and – quite frankly – just feels really good. The fact of the matter is that it’s a little more complicated downstairs for women than it is for men. Boys figure out their genitalia from an early age and their sexuality is often encouraged much more than their female counterparts experience. Statistics would suggest that not only do more men masturbate than women, but they also do it more frequently and have a much easier time reaching climax.

Women who experimented with masturbation at a younger age than the typical and who continue to do it regularly are often more in-tune with their bodies, their sexual desires and needs, in addition to knowing what it takes to really get them off. With that kind of self-awareness and willingness to explore, these women who aren’t afraid to get down with themselves are generally in the higher orgasmic range. Who wouldn’t want to be in that category?

As if the thought of a bettered sex life and more consistent orgasms wasn’t enough to put a tingle in your triangle, there is an abundance of convincing reasons as to why women should be encouraged to masturbate regularly. To touch on a few, masturbation has been shown to encourage a number of health benefits. Some of these include relief from stress, anxiety and restlessness, not to mention the amount of endorphins that are released in the brain from such an event.

With all that said, the key to encouraging more “Big O’s” for everyone is to further educate, explore and be open with one another. Discussing toys, techniques and experiences with partners and friends shouldn’t be something to shy away from. If that kind of openness doesn’t necessarily stroke you in the right way, start at home with yourself and consider looking into a few books or articles on the subject. I recently picked up an essential go-to guide, Sex For One by Betty Dodson, which comes highly recommended on the topic.

As 2015 kicks off, consider kicking back and getting yourself off. If anything, it’s a New Year’s resolution of self-indulgence that’s guaranteed to make you feel good.